South Dakota’s governor says she shot and killed her dog. The controversy, explained

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem wrote in her upcoming memoir, "No Going Back," that she shot and killed her 14-month-old dog, according to a copy of the book obtained by The Guardian.

Noem, widely viewed as the top Republican vice presidential contender in the 2024 election, responded to the report on social media last week.

"We love animals, but tough decisions like this happen all the time on a farm," she said in a post on X on April 26, including a picture of The Guardian's article. "Sadly, we just had to put down 3 horses a few weeks ago that had been in our family for 25 years."

What is the controversy over Noem's dog?

Noem, 52, wrote in her book that she took her dog, Cricket, on a pheasant hunt with older dogs with hopes it would calm the dog down and teach her how to behave, according to The Guardian.

However, Noem said she couldn't get the dog under control, writing Cricket was "untrainable" and "dangerous to anyone she came in contact with."

"I hated that dog," Noem wrote.

On the way home from the hunt, the dog attacked a local family's chickens. When Noem grabbed Cricket, she wrote the dog "whipped around to bite me."

"At that moment," Noem wrote in the book, "I realized I had to put her down," according to The Guardian's report.

Noem grabbed a gun and led Cricket to a gravel pit.

"It was not a pleasant job," she wrote, "but it had to be done. And after it was over, I realized another unpleasant job needed to be done."

Noem then recounted killing a family goat, which she called "nasty and mean," according to The Guardian. She led the goat to the gravel pit, but was unsuccessful in killing the goat in one shot.

She said she got another shell for her gun and killed the goat.

When her children arrived home from school, Noem's daughter asked, "Hey, where’s Cricket?"

NBC News has not obtained Noem’s book or independently verified the section reported by The Guardian.

How did people respond?

Some social media users were shocked by the incident, while others posted photos with their dogs — including the Biden campaign.

Noem wrote in an April 28 post on X that she could understand why some people were upset by the story of her dog, Cricket.

"The fact is, South Dakota law states that dogs who attack and kill livestock can be put down. Given that Cricket had shown aggressive behavior toward people by biting them, I decided what I did," she said.

"Whether running the ranch or in politics, I have never passed on my responsibilities to anyone else to handle. Even if it’s hard and painful. I followed the law and was being a responsible parent, dog owner, and neighbor," she continued.

Noem added her actions weren't easy, but she worked to make the best decision for the people in her life.

Noem is serving her second term as South Dakota's governor, after serving as a representative in the House.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com